Wasted MY time?

[Laura's Babies]

I know my PCP spoiled me that I had in Florida... He use to ask all the time how long I had to wait to get called... If it was more than 5 minutes, somebody got chewed on!

I am not bonded with or have a ton a faith in this doctor, in fact I get rather annoyed with him. He only gives me a 30 day supply of medicine that I need for my eyes and tells me to come back next month and everytime you go, he wants TESTS! It is to apparent that they need more income to pay for that new office!

That being said, I know he was still out to lunch and not even there. His nurse wasn't there until she grabbed my file and called me to the back either. I was there for over a hour and saw neither of them until she came to get my chart. I think he still wasn't there and he would have shown up sometime while the tests were being done on my eyes.

[Cataholic]

I don't see 30 clients a day, of course. BUT, if I am running late, I certainly do not take a lunch. I might take a bite, chew, and walk into the meeting, but, I eat lunch after the meeting. I do not keep people waiting. There are exceptions, I might be on a teleconference, or just a long winded phone call (not of my doing), but, everyone's time is important. I am never more than a few minutes late, and that is rare. Course, I do have clients that walk in fifteen minutes late on occasion.

[Pam]

if I am running late, I certainly do not take a lunch.

If we are running behind my boss never stops for lunch. We tease him sometimes that we should hook up an IV for him so he can get some nourishment on those long days. We have three techs and three office people where I work. We all stagger our lunches so that there is always ample coverage and the office runs smoothly all day long.

[Cinder & Smoke]

I've done three Hoppsbittle Visits, and multiple "Office Visits" to determine >>>
EVERYone in the Medical Professions, *especially* Doctors, operate on a
different Time Zone than the rest of the world ... called "Doctor's Standard Time" or "DST".

DST runs about a minimum of One Hour BEHIND regular time -
and can be as much as 8 hours BEHIND what YOUR watch says!

So, when YOU're sitting in the Doc's Office at 8:45 AM for your 9:00 AM "appointment" ...
Ole Doc is sitting in his KITCHEN at HOME sippin cawfee #2 when he checks his
Doctor's Time watch ... "7:45 ... better take my shower an over to the office" ...

He shows up at the office at 8:45 HIS time ... YOU've been there an hour already!
Doc gets a fresh kawfee and checks his messages ... jots a note to call 'em back - after lunch.
Quick scan of the paper ... check watch ... 9:15 (Doctor's Time) ... Oooooh-Kay ...
Let's go see our first appointment ... "ONLY" an Hour & 15 LATE!

Put that same Doc on rounds in the Hospital ... and the "time warp" between Regular Time
and DST stretches out to 4, 5, 6, 8 Hours!
"Oh, I had an 'emergency'" or "I got called for a consult". ...



/s/ ex-Patient Phred

[kuhio98]

I always try to be the first appointment of the day. That way, they can't be too backed up yet.

My sister once waited 45 minutes for her dentist. He breezed in the front door in his exercise clothes. Seems, he had to get his workout in before seeing her. She got up and left and never went back.

[cassiesmom]

Call about an hour beforehand - is the doctor on time?

Try to be one of the first two or three patients seen that day.

When you go back, tell the physician why you left today - your time is just as valuable as hers.

I used to work in a clinic with a lot of uninsured patients - they'd wait a half a day if necessary.

[Daisy and Delilah]

I must have the patience of Job. After reading this thread, I need to re-consider my choice of doctors.

My primary care physician's staff make three appointments for every 15 minutes. He doesn't arrive until around 11:00-12:00(after hospital rounds, etc). I have rarely been there when I didn't wait in the waiting room for at least an hour and probably anywhere from 30 minutes to another hour in the examining room. I usually figure my time there will be a total of around 2-3 hours. No joke. The bad part is that I thought this was the norm. I hear alot of people in this area talking about waiting this long at their appointments.

The doctor eats lunch in the office(usually brought in by drug reps.). If you are scheduled when he decides to take lunch(there's no set time), you could sit there another additional 30 minutes. Again, no joke. His waiting room is constantly packed and there are always complainers but usually, everyone sits there and waits until it's their turn. Yesterday I had an appt.--I took a catalogue and 2 puzzle books with me. I remember one time, I almost finished half of a circle a word book and read three magazines cover to cover.

I really love this guy but maybe I need to move on

[Laura's Babies]

If someone, ANYONE had offered me some sort of explanation as to why he couldn't see me on time... but nobody did.. I DO have a life! I am saying they scheduled me for 1 and at 1:30 he was not even there!! He should KEEP his appointments or someone needs to explain WHY he can't and ask you if you want to wait or reschedule! I was told nothing and left there to just sit and twiddle my thumbs...

Take a book? It was a eye doctor and I was there because I am having problems with them... reading was not a option for me.

[K9karen]

I went to my original rheumatologist for over 10 years and stayed with him after he split with his partner, for which he thanked me profusely. I would leave work early (no pay) to travel a total of almost 2 hours to get to his office. His Monday evening appointments, for which I opted, started at 6p, my appt was 630p. I arrived around 6p to an empty waiting room except for the receptionist. I knew he was in, as I saw his car in the lot. It's now 6:45p..and yes, I'm "next". Hmmm...still empty waiting room. Finally (and I'm cutting this short) at 7:45p, I'm escorted in the exam room. What happened? Instead of taking me in right away, the receptionist waited for his 6p appointment to arrive..she was elderly and late so made me WAIT!!!!! I could have been in and out. If it wasn't an emergency, I would have left. I'm pretty easy going..but I thought our Dr/patient relationship was pretty good, so I told him what happened in no uncertain terms. I was so Po'd, I almost cried. He was shocked and HE took the receptionist into his office "to talk" as I was leaving.

I no longer see him (he moved too far) but I have to say, I've been extremely lucky. I may wait IN the exam room for a while, but never too long. I understand there are emergencies. My spine surgeon spent over an hour with me on my first visit, so I'm sure other patients were angry but it was important and urgent and I didn't expect it.

I love my doctors and their staffs. It took a long time to find the right ones and I dumped the ones with no bedside manners or compassion. My money, my body.

[Pam]

Take a book? It was a eye doctor and I was there because I am having problems with them... reading was not a option for me.

I am so sorry you were treated that way. You were certainly entitled to an explanation. The one thing that I think would help tremendously in medical offices is to allow for emergencies. What I mean is that at least one or two slots should remain unbooked each day. My boss is opposed to doing that because he is afraid that those emergencies might not appear that day and he would be twiddling his thumbs. He hates idle time and is happiest when he sees everyone busy, busy, busy.

We have suggested getting a TV for the waiting room. I know that I have visited other offices where there is a TV and it does occupy your time so that you almost don't realize how long you have been waiting. There have been times that I have gotten so involved in what is on TV that when my name finally was called I wanted to ask them if I could wait until that particular program was over before coming back.

[DrKym]

I used to work in a clinic with a lot of uninsured patients - they'd wait a half a day if necessary.



UNINSURED patients are less sick? or their time is less valuble? Your clinic bases wait time on wheter they had insurance cards?

half a day if necessary??? Was there like an office pool?

Just a thought

Kym

[GreyhoundGirl]

I always try to be the first appointment of the day. That way, they can't be too backed up yet.

Haha. Good luck! Our dentist... GET THIS: first appointment of the day... and we were waiting 1 1/2 hours!!! Our desntist is horrible for that. Even if you get there early you are still waiting for AT LEAST 2 hours. Usually closer to three. Cancel anything else you might have that night.

In fact... the only time I've gone in on time was when it was an emergency... which shouldn't really count in the "good service" dept.

[moosmom]

I don't mind waiting to a certain extent. But doctors are famous for overbooking their patients. I refuse to wait more than 30 minutes and will walk out without hesitation.